Traditional Wicca by Thorn Moony

 I am an avid follower of Thorn Moony and her blog on Patheos.com/pagan, so naturally when she published a book it is in the must read column for me even though we do disagree an quite a few things. 

Thorn set out to write an updated book for those seeking to join the Gardnerian Tradition, so they had an idea of what to expect. To this end she has mostly succeeded if you are looking for a sales pitch... 

As people who are all long time members and learned witchcraft from the Gardnerian Tradition, Thorn is still dismissive of those who are not in her tradition in her writing. This dismissive attitude goes both ways really. Those not in a Tradition dismiss because "all the secrets" are on the internet. Thorn and those in the Tradition dismiss because without their way of doing things, initiation, elevation etc. they claim you are not getting all the secrets. Really that sounds like the Tradition brain washes people....  anyway ... It is rather hilarious that just recently Thorn posted about not putting people on pedestals, yet in this book she puts herself and her whole tradition on an enormously high pedestal by stating that they have soooooo much more information than what has been "leaked". SMH. Sigh.

The inclusion of short essays from different people is nice, but most of the essays have that "rose tinted glasses" feel to them. Which I get, the book is about selling the Tradition to the masses. However sometimes it comes off as a used car sales person trying to tell you that some vehicle that has been used is really new. Or a desparate attempt to prove that the Gardnerian Tradition is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Either way while she does admit that they have their not so good people, the reality of how much the members will snub you because you dont do "x" or how excluded they members will make you feel because of whatever bugs is up their collective but is not mentioned. Yeah we are all human, but the Gardnerians take it to a whole new level.

What Thorn doesn't tell you in her expounding on how great a family the Gardnerian Tradition is, is that you have to take whatever scraps they lower themselves to give you. Dont feel like part of the family? Your fault for not accepting what they can offer, instead of asking why or considering your needs are actually unique. Dont feel like you belong? Your fault, because you are not a good fit and are not conforming yourself to them. Which is well and good, it is a closed group who picks who they want in, but you cant sell me on it being the only means or the only complete anything when it is going to behave in this manner.

Ah sky clad ... yet the Traditions use necklaces or other "ritual" trappings... They claim skyclad is to make all equal, reality is to only allow their rank markings to show and thus emphasize again how lowly the one with the least is.

I can go on and on about the Gardnerian Tradition, but it all boils down to either they are using different definitions of the words they are using to describe things than I am or they are lieing about the quality of their relationships, because I have yet to see proof in their interactions with each other (or anyone) to prove that they are using the same definitions I am.